SBM has a very unique setup. It is called the Teaching Enterprise Project or TEP for short. This is a unique pedagogical component of the SBM education model, one of its kind among polytechnics in Singapore. SBM students are attached to different strategic business units within NYP to gain hands-on experience working on real-life projects.

One of the business units is our Marketing Services Centre (MSC) which operates a chain of six retail outlets with creative theme concepts. We also operate and manage a Cheers outlet – the first and only Cheers outlet managed by staff and students in Singapore. Students, under the supervision of the staff, will be involved in all aspects of retail management, such as liaising with vendors, merchandising, window display, inventory, customer service and stock taking.

I am currently the Assistant Manager who takes care of TEP Training and developments in the MSC, such as sourcing for new business partners for business growth.

ibuzz: Wow! That sounds really exciting. What an interesting job! You mentioned earlier that you shop as part of your job. I am sure you are the envy of many. What exactly do you do?

ibuzz: You seem to really enjoy your days in the retail industry. What makes you join NYP to teach?

“I’ve been interested in chemistry for as long as I can remember”, he explains. “Chemistry touches every aspect of our lives. Everything that we use, from the plastics and electronic components that make our computers, to the drugs and medicines that keep us healthy – they are all made from chemicals. And inside every living creature, there are countless chemical processes happening all the time.”

An aquarium hobbyist, Mr Roberts considers his 600-litre aquarium a living science experiment. “You need to balance a lot of factors – macronutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, a range of micronutrient metals like iron and manganese, as well as carbon dioxide and light. With a bit of care it will blossom into a beautiful ecosystem that grows continually. One of those goldfish has been living in my aquarium for nine years!”

Mr Roberts’ career has evolved over the years. “I started as a teaching assistant at university, and worked for many years with an environmental testing laboratory in Canada, then with a semiconductor specialty chemical company in Singapore.” Now at NYP, he has returned to teaching. “I really enjoy it!” he enthuses. “And not just the lectures and labs. One of the things I like most is just talking with students about whatever they are interested in, sharing my experiences and knowledge where I can, and learning from the students at the same time. It’s a lot of fun.”

She had been actively involved in industrial projects, such as a joint project with Johnson & Johnson Medical Asia Pacific with a group of Industrial Design (ID) students.

She is also supervisor to ID students participating in both local and international competitions such as the Tan Kah Kee Young Inventor’s Award and the Singapore Furniture Design Award. Recently, one of her students’ works was selected to be showcased in IDEA international exhibition in Canada.

To those planning to choose the Design course, Ms Liu has this to say, "Design is a booming industry in Singapore. The government has put in a lot of effort to make Singapore the design hub for this region. With design playing a vital role in business strategies today, opportunities are there for trained designers.”

What advice would Ms Liu give to those who have not made up their minds on the course to pursue after their 'O' level education?

"If you are a creative person, and you have the passion to design things to make people’s lives better – this is the right course for you!"

Armed with a Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering, she is one of the many qualified lecturers in her department. Her Masters thesis was ‘Intra-Cranial Stent Development using Nitinol’. It’s a complex topic but Ms Ong made it sound so simple and ibuzz was baffled at her ease of simplifying things. This trait is Ms Ong’s strength as a teacher. She likes to simplify concepts for her students so that she can be connected with her students.

Not only does Ms Ong want to be connected with her students, she also likes to be connected with Nature. She has trekked mountains and valleys in Nepal, Tibet and other exotic places. When asked what the feeling is like when she faced those majestic mountains, she replied, “It makes me feel so small in the presence of such awesome nature. I feel there is no problem too big that I cannot solve and I am ready to face the world again!”

As a teenager, she had learnt this lesson well. You see, Ms Ong was advised against taking up too many activities in her secondary school. However, she loved to be in NPCC and the Volleyball Team. She assured her parents and teachers that she would balance them well as nothing would deter her from doing what she wanted. Ms Ong proved that she was right when she scored 6 A1s in her ‘O’ level examination in addition to becoming the NPCC Best Cadet and Captain of the School Volleyball Team. What a story!

Her advice for all young people: Stay true to your dreams. Never give up on them!

Meeting this slim ‘30-something’ years old lecturer who does not look her age was refreshing. She is vibrant and full of energy. When ibuzz met up with her, this avid volunteer has just come back from Hambantota, Sri Lanka, but there is no sign of fatigue in her. As a matter of fact, she returned to work the very next day after she came back to Singapore!

Ms Noor’s students revealed that she is so full of energy during lectures that they would be glued to her lecture from start to finish. She was always pacing up and down in the lecture theatre, and speaking with her strong voice.

I’ve been actively involved in volunteering work since 2001. I work closely with MUIS (Muslim organisation) to help coordinate with pilgrims for Hajj. Other projects done were mostly health related.

I’ve just come back from Hambantota, Sri Lanka, with my students. This is part of the Youth Expedition Project under the Singapore International Foundation. After the expedition, t he students shared that the experience was an eye opener as they were able to see and experience how people get together to rebuild their homes and lives after a major disaster. They started appreciating little things in Singapore that could not be found in Hambantota. They also learnt and understood the different cultures and styles of living.

Overall, the students enjoyed the relief expedition. They even expressed their enthusiasm to volunteer again in the future!

ibuzz: Why did you choose to teach in NYP?

ibuzz: Describe the NYP lecturer.

ibuzz: What would you say to students planning to take up the Diploma in Nursing course at a polytechnic?

ibuzz: What’s your motto in life?